1. Technical Field
The invention relates to an air deflector for keeping the side windows of a motor vehicle clear of water borne dirt and grime.
2. Description of the Problem
The adhesion of dirt and grime on the side windows of motor vehicles during periods of rain and especially when roads are wet from rain or melting snow is well known to drivers. Some of the problem stems from precipitation and spray hitting the windshield and then flowing around the windshield to the side of the vehicle. Here it can be caught in an area inside the slipstream adjacent to the vehicle allowing it to collect on the surface of the windows. Still more dirt is simply carried by water particles directly against the windows. Motor vehicle manufacturers have attempted to address the problem by incorporating a water catching channel into the windshield molding which directs dirty water up and over the windows. In contemporary vehicle assembly a windshield molding is attached around the circumference of the windshield to provide a tight seal between the window glass and the vehicle body. The water catching groove can be formed in the molding for channeling water along the A-pillars on both sides of the windshield.
Such grooves or channels have usually been formed by a depression in the mold. German laid open application 36 00 504 A1 teaches a channel formed by a projecting forward swept lip mounted to the vehicle's A-pillar. The channel is located at the base ends of the forward swept lip and an attachment lip secured to the A-pillar.